The present invention relates to an automatic medicine packaging machine that packages each dose of medication. Specifically, the present invention relates to the automatic medicine packaging machine with door lock unit that prevents the supplement and outflow of tablets by an unauthorized person and makes tablets kept and treated more safely.
In general, an automatic medicine packaging machine continuously packages tablet-type medications that are dispensed per dose. The construction and operation of the same inventor's Korea patent ‘Tablet automatic dispensing and packaging apparatus’ with Korea patent number 10-0611949 filed on Aug. 7, 2006 is explained as follows using FIG. 5 and FIG. 6.
Referring to FIG. 5, the automatic medicine packaging machine includes a body 100, in which a plurality of tablet cassettes 101 is arrayed in the interior of the body 100 and a door 102 for opening and closing the interior of the body 100, a hopper 200 constructed below the interior of the body 100 that traps tablets which have been dispensed from the tablet cassettes 101, a printing unit 300 that prints instructions to each package of tablets dispensed by the hopper 200, a sealing unit 400 that feeds and seals tablets in the hopper 200 by tablet envelope(s) on which instruction labels are printed by the printing unit 300, and a controller 500 which controls the tablet cassettes 101, the printing unit 300, and the sealing unit 400. The controller 500 operates to export tablets per dose from the tablet cassettes 101 to the hopper 200, and tablets exported to the hopper 200 will be fallen to and filled in medication envelope(s). Tablets per dose exported to tablet envelope(s) form a tablet package by heat-sealing process of the sealing unit 400.
Referring to FIG. 6, the tablet cassettes 101 are arrayed in the interior of the body 100 and the door 102 is established in the front and sides of the body 100, so that the interior of the body 100 is possible to be open or close by the door 102. Because the interior of the body 100 is possible to be open or close, tablets may be supplemented to or outflowed from the tablet cassettes 101 by a user.
However, the above prior art has a disadvantage that the supplement or outflow of tablets may be easily done by an unauthorized person, so that tablets which have been dispensed into tablet cassettes may not be preserved safely and also the supplement of tablets may not be made exactly.